interview with reviewer Nell Minow

Joanne:
Thank you for your comments, Nell. I would like to show you an excerpt from Nell's book which is her review of the blockbuster movie, Titanic

Titanic
1997, 195 min, PG-13, 12 and up
Dir.: James Cameron, Leonardo DeCaprio, Kate Winslet, Billy Zane, Kathy Bates, Gloria Stuart
Excerpted from The Movie Mom's Guide to Family Movies  with permission from the author. All rights reserved. ©1999 Nell Minow

Plot:
This blockbuster movie is the winner of eleven Oscars including Best Picture and Best Director, and is on its way to becoming the highest-grossing movie of all time. The real-life disaster serves as the backdrop to a fictional tragic love story between Rose (Kate Winslet), an upper class (though impoverished) girl and Jack (Leonardo DeCaprio), a lower class (though artistic) boy who won the ticket in a poker game.

Discussion:
Classic Greek tragedies explored the theme of hubris as human characters dared to take on the attributes of the gods only to find their hopes crushed. This is a real-life story of hubris, as the ship declared to be "unsinkable" (and therefore not equipped with lifeboats for the majority of the passengers) sank on its maiden voyage from England to the United States.

The movie raises important questions about choices faced by the characters, as we see a wide range of behavior from the most honorable to the despicable. The captain (whose decision to try to break a speed record contributed to the disaster) and the ship's designer (whose plan for additional lifeboats was abandoned because it made the decks look too cluttered) go down with the ship, but the owner and Rose's greedy and snobbish fiancé survive. Molly Brown (dubbed "Unsinkable" for her bravery that night) tries to persuade the other passengers in the lifeboats to go back for the rest. But they refuse, knowing that there is no way to rescue them without losing their own lives. They wait to be picked up by another ship, listening to the shrieks of other until they are all gone.

Many parents have wondered about the appeal of this movie with young teens, especially teen-age girls. The answer is that in addition to the charm of its young stars, it is almost perfect adolescent fantasy for girls. Rose is an ideal heroine, rebelling against her mother's snobbishness and insistence that she marry for money. And Jack is an ideal romantic hero-sensitive, brave, honorable, completely devoted, and (very important for young girls) not aggressive. She has all of the power in the relationship. She makes the decision to become involved, and he is struck all but dumb when she insists on posing nude. Furthermore, if he is not quite androgynous, he is not exactly bursting with testosterone either, and, even more important, ultimately, he is not around. As with so many other fantasies of the perfect romance, from Heathcliff and Cathy in Wuthering Heights to Rick and Ilsa in Casablanca the characters have all the pleasures of the romantic dream with no risk of having to actually build a life with anyone. It is interesting that the glimpses we get of Rose's life after the Titanic show her alone, though we meet her granddaughter and hear her refer to her husband. Parents can have some very good discussions with teens about this movie by listening carefully and respectfully when they explain why it is important to them, as this is a crucial stage in their developing understanding of the adult world.

Parents should know that in the movie features brief nudity (as Rose poses for Jack) and the suggestion of sex (in a steamy car). A much more serious concern is the tragedy itself, with hundreds of frozen dead bodies floating in the water, which may be upsetting or even terrifying for some kids.

• Profanity:
  Several sear words.
• Nudity/Sexual References:
  Rose poses nude for Jack. They have sex in a car (nothing shown).
• Alcohol/Drug Use:
  Social Drinking.
• Violence/Scariness:
  Very scary and sad scenes as the ship is sinking; Rose's fiancé shoots at Rose and Jack.
• Tolerance/Diversity Issues:
  Rose rebels against the limited opportunities for women; class issues.

Questions for Kids:

• Who was to blame for the ship's sinking?
• Was there a way to prevent at least some of the deaths?
• What new rules were made as a result of the Titanic disaster?
• Why was telling Rose what to do so important to her mother and to Cal?
• Connections:
  There are a number of other fictional and documentary moves about the Titanic, including A Night to Remember and the IMAX film Titanica.

interview with reviewer Nell Minow

The Movie Mom's Guide to Family Movies
by Nell Minow

This book is designed to help parents of kids from ages 2-18 manage the media onslaught. It includes more than 500 superb movies available on video, movies that offer more than mindless explosions, casual sex, and racial and gender stereotypes--movies that exercise the mind and spirit and bring the whole family closer together.

Movie Review:
"Anna & the King" (1999)
by Joanne Spataro
Movie Critic, the Charlotte Observer
How could one woman shake the very foundation of a Siam monarchy? "Anna and the King" is a powerfully mature film based on an English schoolteacher's experiences in faraway Siam. In 1862, widowed Anna Leonowens (played by Jodie Foster) visits Siam with her son, Louis (Tom Felton). Find out more and see the official site, hear the soundtrack and get the original book written by Anna.

Meet the Critic
Lawrence Toppman
hosted By Joanne Spataro
Larry has been writing for the Observer for twelve years, and twenty-three years in various publications. He has loved movies ever since he was a little kid. I learned about what qualities make a good movie to him, how he finds his job rewarding, and what he snacks on in the theater (the answer may surprise you).

Joanne's Movie Reviews:
"Star Wars Episode 1
The Phantom Menace"
hosted by Joanne Spataro
Charlotte Observer Movie Critic
movie review
& Now get the film on video
Twentieth Century Fox and Lucusfilm presents "The Phantom Menace". The long-awaited prequel to "Star Wars: A New Hope", explains how generous Anakin Skywalker became the greedy Darth Vader. Young Obi-wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) and his master Qui-Gon (Liam Neeson) are Jedi knights. Find out more.